Ask Jack: Boss' Dirty Laundry, Respect, and Job Pick of the Week

Do you have worries in the workplace?

Trouble with an annoying co-worker? Misunderstanding with your creepy boss? Dispute with an idiotic corporate rule? Personal life spilling over into professional? Stuck in a rut? Scared of getting canned? Stink at interviews? Sick of your commute? Tired of the same old lunch?!?

Worry no more. Jack is on the job.

Ask me ANY work-related question and I will come up with an answer for you. Oh, it might not be the correct answer. It may not be an intelligent answer. It might even get you in deeper doo-doo than when you started.

So this is where YOU come in. I don't pretend to know everything.

Think you have a better answer than mine? Put it in the comments. Maybe it's a situation you've personally experienced. Maybe you're an expert in a certain field. Perhaps you just love shooting your mouth off. You're all welcome in the discussion and together, we'll find a solution.

If you see an answer in the comments that you do like, click the little "thumbs-up." We'll spotlight the top-rated answer the following week.

Oh, my qualifications? I actually do have a few. Worked in an office for nearly 20 years. Been at a big company and a tiny company. Been the little guy and the boss. I've hired. I did that other thing that rhymes with "hired." I was a union officer. I'm a freelancer. I have been praised, I have been scolded. Office relationships? One or two, sure. I've worked retail. I've mowed lawns. I've worn a mascot costume. Let's get started.

Help! My boss makes me take care of his personal life.

Hmmm, you don't work for James Franco, do you? Bosses have been crossing this line with administrative staff since the beginning of time, when Og asked his assistant Zorka if she wouldn't mind picking up his animal pelt from the dry cleaners. A good method to nip this in the bud (your boss doesn't nip you in the bud, right?) would be to refer to some fictional other boss: "I can't believe it, my friend Matt's boss makes him proofread her son's homework! I just wanted to thank you for having more respect for me than that." It might guilt your superior into changing his or her ways, if your boss is just a little brighter than Og.

I get no respect. How do I get my boss to trust me more and give me greater responsibilities?

First of all, right now could be an excellent time to take off that beer-can helmet. In all seriousness, appearancecan make a difference. As the saying goes, "Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have." And definitely don't dress for a day at the beach. (Unless you're an assistant lifeguard, which then would be perfectly fine.) Also, behave like a mature person around the workplace. And most importantly, be proactive. It's called "managing up." Do your work well, do it on time, and make your boss's life easier. Volunteer for extra tasks, showing that you're ready for them. Pretty soon you'll be the boss's "pet" and all your co-workers will hate you. Congrats!

Do you have a work-related question for Jack? Write it in the comments below or tweet it @AOLJobs with the hashtag #AskJack.

Listen to Jack on Smokers' Rights

Jack's Job of the Week

When I was a kid, there was a TV commercial about learning to drive the "big rigs" and the notion has appealed to me ever since. Ah, the open road! Western omelets and a hot cup o' joe at an all-night truck stop. Warning my buddies about Smokey on the CB radio. And finally learning what those "weigh stations" are all about. If you are an experienced CDL class A driver, there are hundreds of available jobs coast-to-coast listed on AOL Jobs-and that's just a handful of the thousands of job listings across every possible interest and skill level.

10-4, good buddies!